Contract - The high-resolution accurate-mass mass spectrometer with ion mobility for Turku Proteomics facility, Turku Bioscience Centre

University published a voluntary ex ante transparency notice of an intention to purchase a new high-resolution accurate-mass mass spectrometer with ion mobility for Turku Proteomics facility, Turku Bioscience Centre. Turku Bioscience (previously known as Turku Centre for Biotechnology) is an advanced core facility and research centre hosted jointly by University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. The Centre was established in 1992 to facilitate research infrastructure services and scientific interactions across departments and within the two universities. This concept has proved to be highly efficient especially in optimizing the coordinated acquisition of cutting-edge instruments and providing technology services by open access principles. The Centre offers services to both academic and commercially-oriented research projects. Now Centre has a need for a specific cutting-edge instrument with specific features with also compatibility with the existing infrastructure. The reasoning for direct purchase was presented in the published prenotification.

The high-resolution, accurate mass Orbitrap Astral Mass Spectrometer with FAIMS Pro Duo, provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific, is the only instrument in the market that meet all the specific and necessary technical requirements to fulfil the uncompromising needs of the acquiring department as follows: • New instrument needs to be compatible with existing Nanospray Flex Ion Source, FAIMS Pro Duo interface, control software, and UHPLC systems in Turku Proteomics facility. • Our research consists of multiple workflows that require the use of TMTpro 18-plex reagents for maximum throughput, and therefore the new instrument needs to have mass analysers capable to achieve high mass resolution (>60000 at 200m/z), quantitative performance, and dynamic range (>5000:1 within one spectrum). • The instrument must have two high-resolution, accurate mass analysers that operate in parallel, one of which must be able to deliver MS/MS spectra at a rate of 200Hz. • New instrument needs to provide a sensitivity increase over the existing Orbitrap Exploris 480, as defined by protein group identifications achievable on a single-cell level input (250pg) of HeLa digest utilising the FAIMS Pro Duo interface for improved signal: noise. • The instrument must be capable of performing narrow window (2Th) DIA to increase selectivity and sensitivity for applications such as plasma proteomics. • Our methods have been developed for Q Exactive HF Orbitrap, Orbitrap Exploris 480 and Orbitrap Fusion Lumos Tribrid mass spectrometers. These methods can be transferred more easily onto another Orbitrap mass spectrometer to ensure continuity. According to the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts (1397/2016) section 40 when only a certain supplier can implement the procurement for a technical reason, provided also that there are no reasonable alternatives or substitute solutions, and that the absence of competition is not due to an artificial narrowing of the terms and conditions of the procurement, the contract may be awarded only to a particular supplier, Contracting authorities may award public contracts by a direct award. Prior to making decision the Contracting authority has inspected the relevant markets and available products and after careful consideration found its' conclusion grounded.